I don't think that it's unreasonable at all to think that Green Bay can make it to the Super Bowl. They are finally being recognized for what they really are - a good, YOUNG team that continues to improve each week and that has some darned good coaching and some very talented personnel on both sides of the ball. Before the season began, I picked the Packers to go 13-3 and took a lot of flack over that (guess who's laughing now). Dallas was, in fact, one of the losses I predicted. From what I've seen of both teams so far, however, I'd say that, all other things staying the same, Green Bay can beat Dallas IF Brett has no interceptions. The Cowpies are certainly beatable and, man for man, I'd say the Packers have the edge in that matchup. As far as Brett retiring, I'd like to believe that he'll be back again next year no matter what way this year ends. If he stays healthy and plays another season, he'll own every quarterback record and keep them for a long, long time. Keep your fingers crossed. Go Pack!

When you wish upon a falling star, your dreams can come true. Unless it's really a meteorite hurtling to the Earth which will destroy all life. Then you're pretty much hosed no matter what you wish for. Unless it's death by meteor.

Like Mike said , If they win Sunday and on Thanksgiving Day, Plus beat the Cowboys, it would seem almost certain we`d be talking Super Bowl! Their chances look good this Sunday, but anything could happen on Thanksgiving Day!

Let's hope that it's also "good karma" that there was a die hard group of Packer fans watching that Carolina game from a tropical desination and this year the same die hard group will be watching again from a tropical desination.

When you wish upon a falling star, your dreams can come true. Unless it's really a meteorite hurtling to the Earth which will destroy all life. Then you're pretty much hosed no matter what you wish for. Unless it's death by meteor.

Giants: 'We Almost Beat The Patriots Once, We Can Almost Beat Them Again'January 24, 2008 |

NEW YORK—As they come closer to their Super Bowl clash with the formidable Patriots—the team they nearly defeated in late December—the Giants are confident that they can come close to beating the undefeated AFC champions on football's biggest stage.

"This team has already tasted victory against the Patriots," head coach Tom Coughlin said Monday. "By which I mean we were so close to victory that we could taste it. True, we did not actually experience that victory, but we came as close to beating them as anyone else has this season. That's the kind of team we believe we are, and I think the Super Bowl will prove that."

Couglin and his assistant coaches have been painstakingly breaking down game films from their Week 17 meeting with New England, analyzing every vital, near-victorious second for anything that might help them come that tantalizingly close to winning for the second time in as many months. They acknowledge that the Patriots are very good indeed, but the Giants believe they can draw on the experience of that near-victory, the confidence they discovered in barely losing to undefeated New England, and the lessons learned in forcing Bill Belichick's juggernaut to come from 12 points behind and beat them in the final minutes.

"This team really believes they can come close to winning the Super Bowl—very, very close," Giants quarterback Eli Manning said Tuesday after spending the morning watching film of his Dec. 29 home loss, film that laid bare the crucial interception he threw to Pats corner Ellis Hobbs. "We can come so close to beating them, so very, heartbreakingly close, that every player here will take it to their graves."

"This will be one to tell my kids about, that's for sure," Michael Strahan said. "If we can pull it off and almost beat these guys, they'll be showing those highlights until the end of time. When I die and come before those Pearly Gates, St. Peter himself will look down at me and say 'So, Michael, what was it like to be an eyelash away from winning that Super Bowl against those Patriots?' And Heaven itself will hold its breath while I tell them how we almost did it."

Meanwhile, in Foxborough, the Patriots are being careful not to give the Giants any bulletin-board material.

"Yeah, they good, they good," wideout Randy Moss said when told of the Giants attitude. "They got a good team. I guess we can't get too upset if they think they can nearly pull it off. Plus, hey, you got to admit, it ain't bragging if it's true. And they did nearly almost come close to practically beating us, come to think of it."

"Didn't, though," Moss added. "18 and oh, baby!"

Still, the Giants refuse to be completely intimidated.

"We stood up to them once, hit 'em in the mouth, and made them beat us," Coughlin said, noting that in the previous meeting, the Giants defense put the Patriots in the challenging position of having to score three times over the last 20 minutes of the game, which the Patriots naturally did with time to spare and without apparent effort. "And mark my words, that's what we're going to do in the Super Bowl—meet their strengths with ours, play as hard and as fast as we can, and force them to eventually beat us."

It would be interesting to see the Patriots go all the way and have the perfect season simply because it just doesnt' happen very often. I also would like to see them beat the Giants just out of spite for beating the Packers. On the other hand it would be nice to see the underdog Giants with their young quarterback bring home the big prize. Hope it is at least an interesting game, not a blow out like some of them have been. Then it gets really boring in a hurry.

Deb, Deb, Deb (may I call you Deb?)...I hear such hostility coming from your post. I can even 'feel' it !!! These are just young guys with super egos who happen to be playing in the hypest of hypest events that the sellers of the commercials can create. They're both probably pumped so full of adrenaline that they can't help themselves.

And in the end...it's only a game that we will most likely forget in two weeks time.

LOL, (may I call you) kmartell. These guys certainly are pumped full of something! As far as Brady is concerned he's pumped full of himself, in my humble opinion. The jury is still out on Eli, in my opinion. The more I think about Eli I just think the guy has no personality. Enjoy Brady's smile. From a dental prospective it is just about as perfect as one can get! I still think it has a s---- eatin' air.

Deb, you may call me kmartell; you may even call me Deb, Deb. My preference is to be called Ken...but I answer to most anything. But please don't call me early in the morning...I like to sleep in.

Now that that's out of the way I'll make the only Super Bowl prediction I've ever made...based on nothing but bravado and some skimming through the Sports section. New England 28, Giants 21…give or take a field goal or two. I think the official Las Vegas point spread is something like 12 or 13 but I think the Giants will dig in with their defense to stop a run away score, but I don't think they'll outscore New England in the end.

I also think that after the game Brady's smile will extend around to the back of his head where the corners of his mouth will meet and won't return to normal for a week or so...kind of like that cat from Alice In Wonderland. And poor Eli will suck it in and wait for another day.